The present invention is directed to hay bale feeders for use in dispensing hay as a food source for animals and, more particularly, to a feeding device that is suited for utilization with round bales for feeding hay to horses.
The known process for feeding hay to animals, such as horses, typically results in an inefficient loss of hay from the feeder, which becomes unavailable to the animals. Furthermore, the design of the known hay feeders does not adequately deter or prevent injuries to animals, such as horses, which are easily frightened while eating.
Round hay bales are typically formed in a cylindrical shape and weigh more than 1000 pounds. As a result, round hay bales are normally transported by tractors or skid steer loaders on spear-like carriers designed to impale the end of the cylindrical bale. Dispensing the hay to the animals is often the process of dropping the round bale on the ground in an open area for access by the animals to be fed. Such a feeding process exposes the hay to contamination from ground moisture, the weather, animal wastes and dirt. Furthermore, the hay can become a marking territory for the dominant horses and bedding material for others. Accordingly, this feeding process generally wastes up to 50% of the hay with respect to being available for feed for the animals. Therefore, feeding animals in the open range or pasture by dropping the round hay bale on the ground increases feeding costs. Furthermore, since a round bale of hay under these conditions is not likely to last for four days for four horses during the winter, increased costs of transporting additional round bales also adds to the cost of feeding hay to the animals.
Most round bale feeders that are commercially available are designed to minimize the waste issues associated with the dropping of the round bale onto the ground, but are more generalized for use by stock farm animals and are not particularly well adapted for use by horses. Horses are herd animals that instinctively rely on large numbers for safety. Horses are easily spooked and move quickly when startled by noise, smells, strong winds and even other dominant horses. Injuries to horses are often self-imposed when yielding to more dominant horses. When near feeders that have sharp edges or protrusions, horses often jump without looking and land hard on the edges or protrusions and receive corresponding injuries. Furthermore, horse can become entangled in conventional hay feeders when attempting to jump over the feeder to avoid being kicked or bitten by other more dominant horses.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a round bale hay feeder for horses that would minimize the opportunity for injury to the horses, while providing a feeding environment that will minimize waste for the hay product being dispensed to the horses.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art by providing a round bale hay feeder that is designed to be utilized by horses.
It is another object of this invention to provide a round bale hay feeder that minimizes the loss of hay as a source of feed material to horses.
It is a feature of this invention that the round bale feeder does not have any sharp edges or protrusions exposed externally for impact by horses while eating hay therefrom.
It is an advantage of this invention that the round bale feeder is designed for use by horses.
It is another feature of this invention that the round bale feeder is formed in a horizontally extending cylindrical body to conform to the general shape of round bales of hay to be dispensed therefrom.
It is another advantage of this invention that the design of the cylindrical body of the round bale feeder minimizes the chances of injury from a horse running into the feeder structure.
It is still another feature of this invention that the height of the feeder structure above the ground is designed to facilitate feeding therefrom by horses.
It is still another advantage of this invention that the height of the cylindrical body of the round bale feeder above the ground protects horses legs from injuries.
It is yet another feature of this invention that the cylindrical body provides wide openings for access to the hay by horses.
It is yet another advantage of this invention that the access of hay by horses via an insertion of their head into the cylindrical body of the round bale feeder does not result in the loss of mane hair.
It is a further feature of this invention that the round bale feeder protects the round bale of hay from the elements by providing a roof over the cylindrical body housing the round bale of hay.
It is a further advantage of this invention that the round bale of hay is more efficiently dispensed to horses, resulting in less loss and lower cost.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a round bale feeder for dispensing hay as a feed from a round bale to horses that is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use.
These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a round bale hay feeder adapted for utilization specifically by horses. The round bale feeder is formed with a generally horizontal cylindrical body that is supported above the ground by support legs that positioned the cylindrical body at a height to permit horses to paw at the hay without subjecting their legs to injury. The cylindrical body is formed from a series of parallel rings that are horizontally spaced a sufficient distance to provide for an open feeding by horses. A roof is mounted on the cylindrical body to shield the hay partially from the elements. A perforated floor covers the bottom of the cylindrical body to retain the hay within the body while allowing the passage of air to the hay.